Will the world’s top-rung institutes come to India once the foreign educational institutions law is in place, or will other universities be in a hurry to set up campuses in this country? As of now, institutes like the US’s Duke, Canada’s York and the UK’s Middlesex are exploring options of
opening up branches here.

Ranked 19 in the latest QS World University rankings, Duke University is already offering two executive MBA programmes that include week-long, intensive studies in India: the global executive MBA and the cross continent MBA programme.

“Duke University faculty members, based throughout the year in our home campus in Durham, North Carolina, accompany our students to study in India. Students get exposure to corporate visits and conversations with government officials related to the course of study,” says John Gallagher, associate dean for executive MBA programmes at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. Classes for the Duke Corporate Education course are conducted out of IIM-Ahmedabad.

One varsity that already has a campus in India is UK’s Leeds Metropolitan University. The students enrolled in both India and the UK study the same curriculum. Those in Bhopal also have access to all the learning resources available in the UK, including access to the e-library and a rich pool of journal articles, case studies and academic papers.

“Even the examinations in both the UK and India campus are held on the same day and same time and students are assessed in a similar manner,” says Abhishek Mohan Gupta, director - marketing & strategic development, Jagran Social Welfare Society (JSWS), Bhopal. Leeds Metropolitan University and JSWS had partnered to start offering the former’s courses in India through the Leeds Met India, Bhopal campus. The faculty is from both India and the UK.

For students, “studying at Leeds Met has been an extraordinary experience where we got to see the best of both worlds. Interacting with people from different cultures, working and studying with them has given me varied perspectives about things and has made me understand my environment better,” says Hamza Chugtai, a third-year student of BA (hons) in business and management.

Canada’s York University, ranked among the top 400 in the QS ranking, also promises to bring in quality international-level education. According to Dezsö J Horváth, dean, Schulich School of Business, York University, Toronto,

“We came up with the Schulich MBA in India programme in 2010 that is offered as part of a twinning arrangement with the SP Jain Institute of Management & Research in Mumbai and has been approved by the All India Council for Technical Education.”

Officials at Schulich are planning a new campus in Hyderabad beginning 2013 with more international students and faculty and a transnational approach to management learning.

Talking about the fee, Horváth said: “When the institution opens the campus in Hyderabad, the programme will cost approximately C$30,000 per year and Hyderabad students will be eligible for scholarship and bursary support of up to C$10,000 per year,” he added.

Middlesex University, UK, is also following suit. “Initially, there will be courses in IT, business and media, which will be of three years duration. The campus will be in partnership with an Indian institution, that will be responsible for all local clearances. The infrastructure will be world class and replicate the learning experience that is available in the UK in terms of quality,” said Joe Victor, regional director, South Asia, Middlesex University.

Scotland’s University of Strathclyde will come up with a campus in Greater Noida soon.